The present invention pertains to the telephone equipment art and, more particularly, to a telephone control system which allows subscribers to receive telephone communications at remote locations in a convenient manner.
The present invention provides a method of automatically answering telephone calls for subscribers of an automated attendant service. In this connection, the method includes obtaining a number from a caller during an incoming call using an audio menu to prompt input of the number; signaling a switch connecting the caller to the automated attendant service to place the caller on hold; and calling a telephone, corresponding to the number input by the caller, while the caller is on hold. Data in a subscriber record is accessed to identify a telephone network address corresponding to the number and to determine a transfer method for transferring the incoming call to the telephone corresponding to the number. The transfer method is one of a plurality of possible call transfer methods, including a screened call transfer method. The caller is prompted to provide a caller announcement when the screened transfer is utilized, which caller announcement is temporarily stored. The telephone network address corresponding to the number is called using the transfer method previously determined and the recorded caller announcement is reproduced if the telephone is answered and the screened transfer is utilized. If a called party answers and an indication is thereafter obtained from the called party then the caller and the called party are placed in communication. Otherwise, a failed call procedure is performed.
In another aspect the present invention provides a method of obtaining information on telephone calls not answered by a person. The method includes automatically answering a first telephone call from a caller after a predetermined number of rings; reproducing a request for the caller to speak a name; receiving a response to the request; placing the caller on hold; placing a second telephone call; reproducing the response previously received if the second telephone call is answered while the caller is on hold; and storing any message left by the caller.
In yet another aspect the present invention provides an apparatus for automatically answering telephone calls to a subscriber of an automated attendant service. A caller interface obtains a number from a caller using an audio menu to prompt input of the number. A switch connecting the caller to the automated attendant service is instructed to place the caller on hold. An out-dialing circuit calls the telephone corresponding to the number input by the caller while the caller is on hold, the out-dialing circuit accessing data in a subscriber record to associate the number obtained from the caller with a telephone number to be called. The switch is signalled to connect the caller to the telephone corresponding to the number if a called party answers and an indication is received to connect the caller and the called party, and otherwise the caller interface performs a failed call procedure. Storage is provided for storing an access number table including at least one access number used by the caller to reach the automated attendant service and the data of the subscriber record correlating the number input by the caller to the telephone number called by the out-dialing means.